Tucson 2010 Show Report 1

29 January 2010

Greetings from Tucson 2010! We've finished setting up our booths in rooms 174/175 Hotel Tucson City Centre (formerly known as InnSuites), and the wholesale booth in the El Dorado Meeting Room (at the same hotel). Please drop by if you're lucky enough to be in Tucson this year - you're very welcome!

For those of you not here we shall try and bring you as much news as possible regarding what we have available and news of new finds, and of course the usual show gossip!

Early days - palm tree 'servicing' - not many people about

Palm tree 'detritus' removal Tucson style

It has been an unusual start considering the weather - rain in the desert(!?!). However, the moisture in the air makes for a pleasant change to the more usual testing dryness. Amusingly the management at the hotel have decided to 'service' the many palm trees in and around the hotel grounds - adding more chaos to the already manic movements of the traders who are busily setting up their rooms and lugging carts of minerals around. Bad news for many dealers is the suspension of the hotel pool for servicing - but fortunately the current weather has removed the necessity of the normally obligatory mid-afternoon dip to cool down!

Where's the water!!!

Although many dealers have yet to arrive we have already had a look around at what's on offer in some of the rooms of the early-bird dealers.

Firstly at Zheng Jian Rong's room there are the usual array of quality minerals from China. Some of the stalagtitic Calcites caught our eye (see below) - a spectacular combination of elongate botryoidal Calcite and prismatic Calcite from Nan Dan Mine. Also some unusual 'fingers' of calcite from Li Jiang Mine. Also some large Topaz crystals (6cm) on matrix from Gong Shan Mine, Hunan Province, China. I was particularly taken with a gemmy Rhodochrosite crystal from Liu Bao Mine, Guang Xi Province.

Calcite stalagtite from Nan Dan Mine, China (c.20cm)

'Finger' Calcite from Li Jiang Mine, China

Gemmy 4cm Rhodochrosite from Liu Bao Mine, Guang Xi Province, China

Patrick Mayer of Capetown Matrix has some great items from Southern Africa including rarities from N'chwaning Mine, SA and spectacular bed of Aquamarine and Schorl Tourmaline from Erongo, Namibia - a 25cm specimen displaying the desirable darker blue Aquamarine from the more recent finds. He had one of the best quality Verdellite Tourmalines we have seen from Namibia. Also, a great v-shaped arrangement of Brandberg Amethyst crystals on matrix - a very showy piece.

Dehne McLaughlin had a great range of Azurite suns from Malbunka Copper Mine, Northern Territory, Australia - some on matrix, some off matrix, along with his usual array of interesting and quality Australian minerals.

Luis Miguel has (had!) a great range of minerals including some quality Panasqueira pieces (Apatite, Ferberite, Siderite etc.), sizeable Phosphophyllite from Bolivia, a stonking Stannite from China, weird Baryte on Orpiment from Peru, and some excellent Aurichalcite examples from Ojuela Mine, Mexico.

Impressive Panasqueira material from Luis Miguel - excellent Apatites

Phosphophyllite (c.4cm) - Bolivia - courtesy of Luis Miguel

Stannite, Ferberite and Quartz - Yaogangxian, Hunan, China - they don't get much better than this

Aurichalcite from Luis Miguel's good selection of Ojuela Mine specimens

Unusual specimen of Baryte on Orpiment from Peru - Luis Miguel.

Laurent Thomas of Polychrom minerals had a quality selection of gem minerals from Madagascar. Of particular interest were some lovely Chrysoberyl sixling crystals on Smoky Quartz matrix from Ambatomanoina, a good blue Spinel from Beraketa, and some interesting 'almost' Emeralds from Vangaindrano.

We set up our wholesale room where we have some great flats of green Riemvasmaak Fluorite, Cactus Quartz/Amethyst, and many, many one off pieces - deals a plenty to found here in the El Dorado Meeting Room! Diana and Jon are here to help!

Diana Schlegel and Jon in the Kristalle/Crystal Classics wholesale room

Kristalle/Crystal Classics wholesale room open for business!

Great deals on green Riemvasmaak Fluorite

Our main two booths in rooms 174/175 are up and ready with many minerals on display from our recently acquired collections. Please drop by if you're here - Lois and co will be there to greet you!

Two of our six cabinets in Rooms 174/175. We're open for business - watch this space over the weekend for VIDEO OF OUR SHELVES - for all of you who cannot make it to the show.

Here's a taster of some of our minerals on display:

As well as a large range of fine and aesthetic specimens we also have rarities such as this Denningite and Tellurite specimen...